Electric-current-regulating wall-switch



Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

A. PAPNI. ELECTRIC CURRENT HEGULATLNG WALL swn APPLICATON FILED-AUG- 11 '1,335,01 41:.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

ANTONIO PAPINI, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 A. MECKY COMPANY, OIE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENN- SYLVANIA.

vtion of an electric regulator or current regulating wall switch, wherein novel means are provided for regulating the force of the current of electric dynamos, motors, lamps, and any other apparatus or machines' to which electricity is supplied from a suitable source. my invention comprising a casing adapted to be inserted in and form a partv of the electric circuit, and said casing supporting or containing the novel devices t0- which my invention particularly relates, whereby the normal circuit may be broken, as desired, and the current caused to diverge and pass through a suitable resistance material whose relatively low conductivity is increased or diminished according to' requirements by compressing it more o! less by a novel construction of piston, having a piston rod having a helical groove, or thread therein and a spring-actuated contact pin, whose end engages the walls of said groove, said pin being supported and positioned in anovel manner.

My invention further consists of a novel Y construction of grooved piston rod, piston contact point, a spring-actuated contact pin and a support therefor, which is adapted to be inserted in and form a part of an electric circuit, whereby the manual rotation of said piston rod will by reason of the engagement of its thread with said pin, effect the actuation or recprocation of said piston rod and its piston sol as to compress to the desired extent the resistance material.

My invention further consists in a novel construction of a helicalor spirally `grooved piston rod, a piston and contact carried thereb a hollow bolt extending at an angle to sai piston rod and containing a tension spring, and a contact pin which is presented at van angle. to said rod and adapted to c0- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 11, v1919. Serial No. 316,550.

y ELECTRIC-CURRENT-REGULATING WALL-SWITCH.

' Patented Mal-.30,192o.

act with the helical groove therein, whereby the desired contact is at all times formed between said piston rod, pin-and its adjuncts. v

My invention further consists of a novel construction of piston rod having a spiral or-helical groove therein and provided with a recess in which is fitted or seated a block of insulating material held in place by suitable means, the thread or spiral or helical groove cut on said piston rod being continued in' said insulating block,"so that the lthread is partly in the metal, and partly in the insulation, whereby when the piston rod reaches a predetermined point in its stroke or rotation, the spring pressed Contact pin coacting with the groove will rest on the insulation and no current will pass.

It further consists of a novel construction of an insulating cylinder containing a piston rod'and its adjuncts of the character above described, together with a plurality of air boxes whereby chambers are formed for the reception of fibrous resistance disks of novel construction, the walls of said air boxes being perforated and in alinement with rows of ports through the wall of said cylinder, whereby the heat developed in the fibrous resistance material will be transmitted to the metal of the air boxes and the heatedy air thereafter permitted to escape through said cylinder ports, this construction being especially applicable to large switches on account of the heat developed by the resistance material.

To the above ends, my invention consists of a novel regulating device of the character described, wherein very small variations in current can be obtained with great accuracy and which can be cheaply constructed, is not liable to get out of order and which can be readily installed in the desired position, and wherein all the parts are readily accessible atV all times for the purposes of inspection, replacement or repair. i

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, T haveshown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is atpresent preferred by me, since the same will le found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it, is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumenta-lities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a current regulating-wall switch or electric regulator embodying mylinvention. lFig. 2'represents a side elevation, partly in section of the piston rod, piston and contact employed, in detached posit1on, show ing particularly the manner of securing 1n position an insulating block having a thread cut therein, which forms a continuity of the thread in said piston rod.

Fig. 3 represents avertical sectional view partly in elevation, of an insulating cylinder, showing a different form of resistance material and air boxes employed, adapted particularly for use in large switches.

Fig. 4l represents a vertical sectional view ofone of the fibrous resistance disks employed, in detached position. Fig. 5 represents' a vertical view of one of the air boxes seen in Fig. 3, in det-ached position.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures. Referring to the drawings.A 1 designates my novel construction of current regulating wall switch or 'electric regulator, the same comprising the body 2,

preferably of porcelain,^which is hollowed out to form the cavity 3, which is provided with the lining or cylinder 4 of insulating material, said cylinder being open at its top and closed at its bottom and sides. A

5 designates a piston reciprocable in said lining or cylinder 4 and provided with the piston vrod 6, to the upperend of which is secured the knob or thumb head 7, whereby the switch is operated.

8 designates the thumb head locking screw whereby the upper .end of the thumb head is secured to the piston rod, as will be under- Stood from Fig. 1, whereby said thumb head and piston rod turn as a unit. The piston rod-6 has a thread or helical or spiral groove 9 formed therein whose walls are engaged bv the end ofthe rest pin or contact pin 10 Vwhich is. mounted in a longitudinal seat 1l in the hollow screw12, said rest pin being held in engagement or contact with saidgroove 9 by the spring 13, which exerts a constant tension on said pin 'l0 so as to press it outwardly and cause its outer end to engage and establish a constant contact with the piston rod 6.

.14 designates an insulated threaded bushing secured in the cylinder 4 through which the screw 12 passes. The lower end of the piston rod 6l may be of reduced diameter as at 15 and passes through the piston 5'. and

is thereto bythe nut 16. said rod terminating lnthe lower contact point 17 below said piston is filled with granulated .insulation and no current w' l pass.

below which and in alinement therewith is the contact point 18.V I preferably construct thel piston 5 of two plates 19 and 20, betweenv which is a body of asbestos 21 and the space or powdered resistance material 22, which may be a mixture 'of graphite and mica or other suitable material.

23 designates a brass disk or plate which is secured in position at the bottom of the cylinder 4 by means of the contact 18 from which depends the bolt member 24 having the nut 25 on the lower end'thereof which `secures the conductor 26 in position 1n the rece'ss 27 at the bottom of the body 2.

28 designates an insulation as paper for the interior of the case 29, the latter being fastened to the bodv bv the screws 30 or the liKe, said body being fastened to the wall or other desired point by preferably three screws 31 seated in -recesses as 32 one of which is shown at the left of Fig. 1.

33 designates a conductor whose upper end is secured in position by the head of the screw 12, the lower end of said conductor' being secured in position against the conductor 34 by the screw 35 the current flowing from said conductor 34 and binding post 36 to the desired point or apparatus such as 4lamps or machines which it is desired to operate.

It will be apparent from Fig. 1 that my novel device having been 4inserted in and forming part of an electric circuit the current from the conductor 26 passesI through the bolt 24, resistance 22, rod 6, pin 10, conductor 33 and binding post 36 to the desired point, the desired regulation being effected by the proper manipulation of the thumb head 7 the rotation of which by reason of its connection with the piston rod 6, pin 10, piston 5 and their adjuncts will effect the desired compression ofthe resist-- ance material betweensaid piston and plate 23, which allows more or less current to pass vthrough said resistance.

For the purpose of breaking the circuit completely I employ the following construction wherein the piston rod 6, has a recess 37 in which is seated 'a block of insulating ma- 115 terial 38, which is held in position by the screwV 39.

The thread 9 is continuous being cut partly in the metal rod 6 and partly in the insulation 38, as indicated at 40. Fig. 2, so that it will be seen that when th thumb head 7 and `piston rod 6 have been turned to the desired extent, the end of the contact pin 10 will rest on the grooved rtion 'of the In -lieu of the resistance material 22, shown in Fig. 1, I may employ in large switches/ on account of the l'heat developed by the re sistance'-material, the construction seen in Figs, -3 to 5, whereinA 4 designatesthev inf 130` sulating cylinder, 18 the Contact, '23 the brass plate, 5 the piston, 6 the piston rod and 17 the contact therefor which'parts have the same function as the corresponding parts already described.

41 designates fibrous Washers, or disks of resistance 4material which may be composed of asbestos mixed with graphite or other equivalent material. These disks 41 have the hole 42 therethrough and are contained in the metallic air boxes 43 whose construction will be apparent from Fig. 5. Each air box is of brass or copper and is composed of the Walls 44 and 45 having the central ports 46 and 47 respectively, and the side ports 48.

The heat developed by the fibrous disks 41 will be transmitted to the metallic air boxes 43.and the heated air will escape through the ports 48 and the rows of ports 49 in the wall of the cylinder 4, this construction being especiallyapplicable to large switches i and affording the necessary ventilation, since it provides an efficient exit for the heat generated during the operation of the device.

It .will be understood that in the construction seen in Fig. 3, the resistance material in the form ofthedisks 41 collocated between the airboxes 43 and piston is capable of being compressed by the piston according to requirements, while in the construction seen in Fig. 1 the resistance material flows under the pressure of the piston filling all the space available between the lpiston 5 and the bottoni of the cylinder 4.

IVhile I have described the preferred material employed as a resistance, it will be evident that other equivalent material may be employed.

It will be apparent that my novel device may be applied to lamps, dynamos or motors without any change in its .Construction or manner ofconnection with the circuit wires.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction of an electric current regulating wall switch which embodies the featuresof advantage enumerated as of the invention' and` the above description, and while, I have, in the present instance, shown and described a' preferred embodi-A ment thereof which will be found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same. is susceptible of modification in various particu-v lars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and-desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character stated, a receptacle containing a resista-nce material, and a compressing device for varying thc l pln movable in said vbolt and said Cavity,

desirable in the statement tact pin engaging the walls of said pressure thereupon, said device having a piston and a piston rod with a spiral groove therein, a portion of said piston rod and groove being insulated, a contact pin engagin the walls of said groove, and a tension evice for pressing said pin toward said groove, said pin belng capable of lateral' movement but incapable of vertical movement, whereby the rotation of said rod will move the latter and its piston longitudinally'. A

2. In a device of the character stated, a receptacle containing a resistance material and a compressingI device for varying the pressure thereupon, said device having a piston and a piston rod and a spiral groove therein, a block of insulating material seatedl in said rod and .having a groove, therein forming a continuity of the groove in said rod, a laterally movable contact pin engaging the walls of said groove and a tension device for said groove, said pin being incapable of vertical movement, whereby the rotation of said rod will move the latter and its piston longitudinally.

3. In a device of the character stated, a cylinderV lled with resistance material, a piston therein, a piston rod therefor having a helical groove therein, said piston rod having a portion thereof provided with insulating material, a hollow bolt suitably supported, a springin said bolt, a contact having its end 1n engagement with the walls of said groove, a contact carried by lsaid piston and a contact at the opposite end of said cylinder.

4. In a device of the character stated, a body of non-conducti g material, having a cavity therein, an insulating cylinder in tom of said cylinder, a bolt passing through the bottom of said body, saidcyllnder and said disk and terminating in a contact point, aresistance material in said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod` attached thereto, and having a helical groove therein,

`a hollow laterally extending bolt secured in said body and cylinder, yand insulated from the latter, a contact pin in said bolt, a piston in said cylinder, and a piston rod therefor, having a helical groove therein, the walls of said groove being engaged by the end of said contact pin.

5. In a device of 'the character stated, a body of nonconducting material, an insupressing said pin toward v a conducting disk at the botlating cylinder therein, resistance ymaterial in said cylinder, a compressing device in said cylinder, comprising a piston. and its rod having a helical groove therein, a conoove, a tension device for positioning said' in with respect to said groove, an outer casing secured to said body, an inner lining' of non-conducting material for said casing,

and a linger piece attached to said piston rod for manually operating vthe latter.

6. In a device of the character stated, an

insulating cylinder, a compressing device in said cylinder, a resistance therein, composed of disks, and air boxes between said disks and having perforations therein, the Walls of said cylinder having hot air exit ports located in proximity to said perforations. i

7 In a device of the character stated, an

insulating cylinder, a compressing device in Y lsaid cylinder, a resistance lin the latter com\ posed bf apertured compressible disks and'15 metallic air boxes 'intermediate saiddisks,

ANTONIO PAPINI;

Witnesses Y JOHNv A. WIEDERSHEIM, N. BUssINGER. 

